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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

5* BOOK REVIEW | 'Lou Out of Luck' by Nat Luurtsema

Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am very excited to be sharing with you a 5* book review, of the wonderful Lou Out of Luck by Nat Luurtsema! When I saw the blurb of this book I knew it was one I had to get my hands on, but I had no idea that this was the second book in the series. So rest assured, you can still read this and enjoy it if you haven't read the first book in the Girl out of Water series (which is Goldfish), and it made me want to go and grab the first book straight away! 

Lou Out of Luck follows Louise Brown as she continues to navigate teenage existence, though this time she has gorgeous boyfriend Gabe, who is making life a lot sweeter. However, Mum and Dad are still broke, and Lou is a little sick and tired of quick showers and mushy cereal. But with the school prom coming up, surely that's something to look forward to? I mean, if it hadn't taken away Hannah from Lou... 

I was kindly sent Lou Out of Luck by Walker Books in exchange for an honest review :)

Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...

Poverty sucks. Dad's timing the family's showers and refusing to turn on the heating. Mum has arranged for Lou to get lifts to school with Drippy Dermot and his eccentric mother in the Van of Doom. And lentils seem to feature in EVERY SINGLE MEAL. Lou is still coming down from her brief moment of TV super-stardom and getting to grips with the fact that - hold the news - SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND, but with both parents out of work, life isn't all plain sailing. Throw in Hannah's obsession with the school prom, Dad's strange shed activity and Lav's brief flirtation with a modelling career, and suddenly training a dance troupe to swim underwater seems like a walk in the park.

I adored this book from start to finish. Lou Out of Luck is the perfect balance of humour, drama and real life issues - for me, these things make it the perfect YA read. It is a lighthearted book, however I do not want to reduce it to that. Lou Out of Luck explores some very important issues that are vital for teens to have represented in their books - from poverty, family issues, peer pressure and much more. They say laughter is medicine and that message is so clear in this book. Despite all the hardships that Lou's family face, Lou's narrative remains unfailingly positive. I think the message that this puts across is really important for a YA book - there is always something positive to be found, even in a seemingly helpless situation. Lou was a fantastic character and her voice was amazing. I also loved the presentation of Lou's family and their relationships with each other - one of the best family portrayals I have seen in a YA novel. 

Overall, Lou Out of Luck was a fantastic story with characters that I could really connect with and relate to. It made me laugh endlessly and I struggled to put it down! This is a great YA read to take on your summer holiday and devour on the beach, in your garden or in the park. I can't wait to read Goldfish and also see what Nat writes next!


Check out Nat Luurtsema here: http://www.natluurtsema.com

Until next time :)




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